Keith Saunders

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Post mortum

The Mets lost the 2015 World Series and they did it in their inimitable style — in gut wrenching and embarrassing fashion. After an improbable, some might say, miraculous season and playoffs, they came crashing back to earth in a World Series that saw them blow three late-inning leads,including two saves.

Their offense went awol, reverting back to pre-Cespedes quality, and their defense was putrid. I would go so far as to say that this was the worst World Series lineup I have ever seen. The only one that comes close is the 1988 Dodgers, but that team won!

Yoenis Cespedes was playing hurt, his bat non-existent, but his defense was piss-poor and half the time it appeared as if his head was not in the game. His bass-running gaffe which ended game 4 was inexcusable. I was a huge Cespedes fan and it’s obvious that without him the Mets do not make the playoffs, but after watching his World Series error-riddled performance I question his baseball IQ.

It’s not only Cespedes. Daniel Murphy, who carried the Mets through the NLDS and NLCS, reverted to being Daniel Murphy, slumping horribly and fielding like a little leaguer. It will be interesting to see which team overpays for him during the offseason.

Nevertheless, I thought Terry Collins had a good Series. I appreciate the fact that he sticks with his starters longer than most managers. Matt Harvey, who I killed before the playoffs, pitched an absolute gem through 8 innings of game 5 and he (rightfully) lobbied to stay in the game for the 9th. How could you take him out? He was untouchable. Jeurys Familia had been anything but lights out this past week and it was far from a given that he would have retired the side. This idea that there has to be 7th, 8th, and 9th inning specialists is garbage. GARBAGE. I have no respect for anyone who would second guess Collins for having left Harvey in. Zero. If Lucas Duda makes a decent throw to the plate the Mets win the game.

And so it continues. Even after a World Series appearance I cannot escape the embarrassment of rooting for this team. They couldn’t just lose normally — they had to do it in Keystone Cops fashion. It’s as if they’re still paying off a deal with the devil they made in 1986. Written in small print in the contract: Drink up, do as much coke as you want, stay out all night, get into brawls – I’ll see that you win. But be warned! Your team will be doomed to lose in embarrassing fashion for the next hundred years.

A playoff upset to the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, the Vince Coleman, Bobby Bonilla era of the early 90s, the subway Series loss to the hated Yankees, Yadier Molina’s game 7 NLCS homerun, the epic division collapses of 2007 and 2008, and the garbage years of 2009-2014.

What to do? I’ll sleep this one off, lose myself in some football, and by the time February rolls around hope will spring eternal. Despite the doom and gloom of this post, the future does look bright for this team. If only they can get out of their own way.

Small consolation this morning I’m sure but the Mets have a nucleus that could very well recreate what we saw this year…a team lose a World Series and come back to win one the very next season. No second-guessing from me on anything that went down decision-wise by the Mets in this one. Sometimes you just get outplayed. Hey, it won’t be long until pitchers and catchers report.